Three Dystopian Novels Worldwide: How Similar Are Our Nightmares?

(Cover image by Natalie Hernandez).

No matter where we go in the world or how many diverse cultures we look at, it is undeniable that people have many things in common. The need for sustenance, the need for clothing, the need for love, the need for acceptance, and many more. But there is something in all this that I find very interesting: our fascination and relentless curiosity about terrifying future scenarios.

Regardless of religion, language, race, or culture, we have been imagining the most dreadful future scenarios for centuries, and for just as long, we haven't been able to let go of these chilling stories.

Animal Farm, 1984, Fahrenheit 451, and Brave New World... These are some of the most famous novels which tell this type of story and most of us already know these books.

But have you ever wondered how the collapse of society, the state, and humanity is depicted in the literature of countries on the other side of the world? How similar are our worst nightmares?

In this post, I would like to recommend three important dystopias from three different countries.

The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa

What would you do if you lived in a place where objects disappeared from your memory one by one?

The Memory Police, one of the masterpieces of Japanese author Yoko Ogawa, tells the story of people living on an island where objects disappear one after another and are controlled by the Memory Police.

On an island governed by the Memory Police, objects disappear every day. One day it might be roses, the next day postcards. After each disappearance, the islanders follow the rules and destroy whatever remains from those objects. If hats vanish, they burn all the hats; if it is the roses, they burn all the roses. Since their memories of these objects vanish along with them, the disappearances don't affect islanders much. However, the unexpected and chilling raids by the Memory Police instill fear in the islanders because the Memory Police are looking for one thing: those who remember.

On this weird island, Ogawa tells the story of a woman whose life is turned upside down when someone who remembers everything enters her world.

Ogawa narrates the events that occur in a society that doesn't protest the disappearances with such an intriguing, bizarre, and striking story that you can't put the book down until you've finished it.

If you enjoy reading extraordinary tales and love the dystopian genre, Yoko Ogawa's The Memory Police should be your next reading!

The Last Island by Zülfü Livaneli

How long does it take for a heavenly place where people have only pure and good relationships with each other to be plunged into great chaos? And how can just one person destroy an entire system?

A group of people who have run away from all the chaos, noise, and rules of the city, live a peaceful life on a beautiful island. With 40 households on the island, there are no laws, annoying rules, or lawmakers. 

The islanders make decisions together about everything, and everything is as everyone wishes. However, after the arrival of a retired president, everything on the island changes forever.

The president, who arrived on the island with his wife and children, wants to make some changes to this peaceful island. First, he is disturbed by the seagulls, who live among the people and are the oldest inhabitants of the island. Then, he is bothered by a tree that stands in the middle of the road. The changes, starting with such minor things, will soon extend to the governance of the island. And the islanders who do not speak out against these small changes are destined for an inevitable outcome.

Zülfü Livaneli, one of the most well-known Turkish authors, tells a story of Last Island that swiftly turns from utopia to dystopia. The Last Island presents a striking tale around concepts like socialism, communism, good, and evil. It is a novel with simple language, yet a very powerful and striking story. If you want to read a compelling story that shows how people prepare for their own ends, I believe you will like this book.

City of Ash and Red by Pyun Hye-Young

It seems that mice hold a distinct place in every country’s literature in terms of what they symbolize, and they also play a significant role in Pyun Hye-Young’s City of Ash and Red.

An unnamed protagonist’s expertise lies in catching mice, and for this purpose, he is assigned to Country C, about which he knows nothing except its name. Shortly after arriving in this place, which he had imagined returning home from soon, he is met with unexpected things: garbage mountains surrounding the country from all sides and a pandemic disease causing deaths all around the country.

The narrator loses his suitcase on his way here, which causes him some trouble. However, his misfortunes and odd occurrences do not end there. He receives a phone call (soon realizing that making calls isn't easy here) informing him that his ex-wife has been found dead, and all signs point to him as the suspect. As he tries to clear his name and free himself from the predicament, he discovers himself surrounded by trash, mice, and people who have hit rock bottom.

Pyun Hye-Young skillfully narrates the dark and gloomy story of a man who goes to an unknown country and faces an absolute nightmare in City of Ashes and Red.

While the book may be truly bleak and occasionally unsettling, it stands as one of the most successful dystopian novels that you should read from South Korean literature.

Works Cited

Livaneli, Zülfü. The Last Island. Other Press, 2022.

Ogawa, Yōko. The Memory Police: a Novel. [First American edition], Pantheon Books, 2019.

Pyun, Hye Young. City of Ash and Red: a Novel. Arcade Publishing. 2018.